I’m a pacifist, but I also work in a domestic violence program. Frankly, I’m impressed that someone took action; too often people get cowardly and justify themselves with excuses like, “that’s a private matter between them…why should I help if they don’t help themselves?..They (the victims) put themselves in that position…” and so on. None of those are true, but they’re common excuses to do nothing. Sometimes it’s worth opposing “the system” to do what’s right. I once got arrested for peacefully protesting in front of an outlet for a major apparel company which uses sweatshop child labor. I don’t regret it one bit.
DAmned straight it was the right thing to do…
Oh yeah…and Brider, please don’t attribute faults in the justice sysem to “the liberals.” I’m fairly liberal myself, and I spend every day of my career working with survivors of domestic violence, AND their abusers, and also serving as a volunteer with groups trying to reform unjust law regarding domestic assault. And make no mistake about it, verbal abuse is domestic assault. Injustice is not something correctly attributable to one specific “side” of social ideology.
Guys, you don’t always have to wait until you get physically assaulted before you can legally defend yourself or your loved ones. In my state, anyway, all you have to do is prove that you felt threatened. If a guy gets in your wife’s face and swears at her like that, I would say that you would be quite justified in feeling that she was in danger of being physically assaulted. Hence, you could (in my state) take physical action to defend her, and the law would probably back you. And yes, this guy is likely a schoolyard bully who only targets the weak. A faceful of fist was quite an appropriate response. But, and this is key, REMEMBER that this kind of weasel will ALWAYS sue your ass when you level him. Candy-assed, but that’s the way it goes.
I’m agree with everyone here so far, damn that’s awesome. I think everyone here hopes for a situation like that in their life, I know I do. People need to know when to mind their own business and when to step in, and this was absolutely the right time to interfere, sometimes you have to step out of your life and really take charge!!
That man did exactly whata T-Man would do, no more, no less.
I agree, he did the right thing. Look at the animal kingdom, certain species of birds and wild cats will gang up on a pack member and beat the shit out of him/her because they are out of line…something to think about.
I just feel badly for the daughter… what an unbelievably sad life she must have with a father like that. Too bad he didn’t hit his head and die on the way down.
if he is okay with the assualt charge then for himself it was the right thing to do. Personally, if I were the husband, I would probably have gotten in his face a little and told him to fuck off. THEN if he did any quick (or threatening) movements i would sock him.
It is my understanding that Officers discretion implies they did not have to ticket him at all, and I know that the prosecutor does NOT have to pursue this case, they were jerks to have done so. IMHO
In court maybe do a motion to dismiss in the interest of Justice as the stigma of having a crime of violence on ones record is severely onerous and debilitating, Also a not guilty finding might help to bar any civil action.
My wife relates that in Russia where she is from they do not have the same pathetic legal impediments to suppress arseaholics like this bully, punchouts are common arseaholic suppression technique, actually encouraged, and typically not pursued legally, she is rather dismayed that in many ways Russia has more freedom that the US, I had to explain that the changes in freedoms in the US have occurred fairly recently in its history.. it didn't start out that way, I feel sick for having to apologize for the idiocy of some recent US legal polices, its embarrassing.
I won’t debate whether the guy’s action was right or not. I just know that I would do the same thing and gladly go to jail for it.
The husband did the right thing. Of course, you don’t want to set an example to kids that you clock anyone who acts like an asshole, but at least this guy’s daughter understands now that no one, including herself, needs to put up with her father’s crap.
Sounds right to me.
The guy is guilty of child abuse… and the lady that spoke up is in fact a T-vixen… so many men wouldn’t have said “boo” to the jerk!..
I’m with Dale: Three Cheers for a Real T-Woman!
I hope the judge/prosecutors go as soft as possible on this. If the cops did not call child protective services on the jerk, there is something wrong.
By the way, shouldn’t there have been a citation for the jerk for a) disturbing the peace, and b) using obscenity? Unfortunately, where laws against public use of obscenities even exist, they are seldom enforced. A case made national headlines a couple of years ago when a canoer in some place like Wisconsin was cited for screaming the f-word several times at a public park. I think it was the first time the law against public use of obscene language had been used in decades. I wonder if jerks like this guy would be rarer if the legal system dealt with their verbal violence before they became emboldened enough for physical violence? Sort of like Giuliani (sp?) in New York and “community policing.” New York City saw a huge drop in crime when they began aggressively pursuing people who jumped subway turnstiles (i.e. rode the subway without paying). Apparently, sociologists and criminologists have argued (and been vindicated by recent changes in police practices) that little crimes breed bigger crimes. Apparently a huge portion of “petty” criminals turn out to be guilty of more serious crimes–but this is only realized after they are busted petty crimes and the system discovers that these criminals have outstanding warrants for more serious stuff.
although imo russia is not nearly as far along as the US (and they are still more corrupt), coyote does make a good point, about the ironies of how “free” the US is…